Chambersburg couple give old treasures to Salvation Army auction

CHAMBERSBURG >> A local couple's decision to downsize and get rid of some collectible treasures will benefit Salvation Army's annual Harvest Auction, set for Sept. 23.

Shirley and Larry DeMarco of Chambersburg say they were just following the example set by others in their Maple Run neighborhood in Chambersburg when they decided this year to make sure the treasures they no longer had room for would benefit the community in some way.

The donation this week included of a number of their treasured possessions, from a silver champagne bowl to decorative candlesticks, some Lennox collectables, a silver coffee server and other items Shirley has collected over the years as the couple entertained, to some of the special horse statues Larry has collected as he traveled the U.S. as part of his job.

The donation to Salvation Army's Heritage Auction isn't the first time the DeMarcos have given away valuables to benefit the community.

Earlier this year they gave some things, including a full-length mink coat, to Women In Need to be auctioned off at WIN's Dancing With the Cars fundraiser.

They also have donated many items to local thrift shops run by area charities, including one run by the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.

In doing that, they say they are following the example set by others in their neighborhood.

"This is a phenomenal neighborhood," Shirley said. "We feel so blessed to be surrounded by good neighbors who care about others."

It is a neighborhood where neighbors who have snow blowers will clear the driveways and sidewalks of widows and those who can't do the job themselves, where people keep plastic sandwich baggies with things they think the homeless might need to pass out when they go out to run errands, or who — like Shirley — take dog treats to a panhandler who has a dog with him.

"It's just a way of life here," Shirley said.

When the DeMarcos downsized from an 11-room, 4,200-suare-foot house eight years ago to the 2,200-square-foot Maple Run townhouse where they now live, they had to pack up and store a lot of the items they are now sorting through and donating to worthy causes like the upcoming Salvation Army auction.

Then over the summer Shirley helped neighborhood friends go through possessions they no longer felt they needed to keep, donating to various charities for auctions and fundraising events.

She and Larry began to think of all those stored items and decided to do the same.

The DeMarcos don't see their decision to give their treasures away instead of sending them to an auction house to be sold for their own benefit as anything extraordinary in a neighborhood where residents migrate toward good works and helping others.

"It is so fulfilling to know someone else will enjoy (the things donated for the auction) and an organization like Salvation Army will benefit from it," Shirley said.

The Harvest event starts at 5 p.m. Sept. 23 with a silent auction and food sale, followed by a live auction at 6:15.